Galactic Revolution: A Mentor On the USS Enterprise
by Wild Mustang of Freedom
Summary: James Kempton returns per request of the Enterprise, newly made Grand Mentor of the Assassins, to face his greatest test yet! What starts out as the hunt of a dangerous fugitive becomes a conflict a long time in the making between the Assassins and Abstergo. Star Trek: Into Darkness AU, Sequel to "New Beginnings: An Assassin of the USS Enterprise."
1. Chapter 1

**Galactic Revolution: A Mentor On the USS Enterprise**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of either franchises, both of which are awesome. I only own my characters.**

**Chapter 1**

Kahn:_ James Kempton, the Sword of the Enterprise. Unquestioningly loyal to the Enterprise and it's crew, he is a formidable and proficient killer. For all his expertise, he is a man haunted by his past, and hunted by those whom he serves. He must be overpowered and liquidated using his weaknesses against him, as threats of violence and intimidation will not work on him. Once removed, the Enterprise will lose its greatest protector, and will be mine to control. If he will not be mine, then he will die._

"Mr. Kempton, welcome back to the Enterprise," James T. Kirk, Captain of the USS Enterprise, said to the young man who had just stepped onto the Bridge.

"It's great to be back, Captain Kirk," I said, nodding in return.

I grinned around at the crewman, recognizing Uhura, Spock, Chekov, and Sulu.

"I imagine you are wondering why you are back," Kirk continued, and I raised my eyebrows. "A few ideas come to mind, Captain: Because you missed me, because Starfleet is no longer after me, or you need help of some kind."

Kirk grimaced, chuckling slightly. "All three, actually. I suppose some of the crew missed you, first of all, but it is more of the latter two. Starfleet was recently attacked by a terrorist named Commander John Harrison. He was arrested for an attack on a meeting of high-ranking Starfleet officers, and murdering several of them via spacecraft. Before we could catch him in the act, he used a prototype transwarp transporter device to escape to Quonos, and that's where we are headed."

I nodded. "Lovely. Just send me in to kill him, and I'll figure out the rest."

Kirk tilted his head. "We are going to Quonos." He repeated, and I nodded. "I heard you the first time. Don't worry about a thing. Get me in close enough, and I'll do the rest."

Spock raised an eyebrow, expecting more of a negative reaction from the assassin, but did not get it.

I cut to the chase, being brutally honest. "So, how's about you tell me why I should give a damn. As you know, Starfleet and I aren't exactly good friends, and I'm not especially eager to be their little errand boy-" Kirk cut me off, striding forward until we were inches apart, and I tensed over so slightly as he hissed into my face. "He killed my mentor and friends, as well as several innocent civilians!"

I winced, noting the angry tone in Kirk's tone. _This was personal to him_.

He continued. "I don't need you getting into a bitch fit about Starfleet. I know what they did to you, but the Enterprise saved you, and gave you a home. I'm not asking that you become friends with Starfleet, but what I do need from you is your help."

I nodded. "As always, I am with the Enterprise. You can count on me."

Kirk nodded. "Good. I knew we could count on you. Now, according to our resident doctor, you need a check-up."

I smiled, and saluted before heading for the nearby elevator.

Before I entered it, I made sure to give Spock a clap on the shoulder, and a quick hug to Uhura.

_What can I say, I had missed these guys!_

* * *

When I entered the Medical Bay a few minutes later, I was met by Doctor Leonard McCoy, who was one of the very few that I really trusted.

"Well, you look none the worse for wear, kid, if slightly taller," McCoy said, after we had exchanged an embrace.

I smiled in return. "Somehow, I managed to avoid violence and pain this time around," I said, sitting on a Medical Bench, as Bones prepared his instruments for my examination.

"Wonders never cease! Now for your usual examination. I bet you've missed those!"

I smiled, always enjoying the old man's snarky and sarcastic wit, and replied in kind: "Of course not! That's the best thing about you."

Bones snorted. "Yes, well, I didn't get where I am today with my good looks and sparkling personality!"

As he said this, he gave me several vaccinations via his Sprayneedle thing.

"I never suggested otherwise," I said, laughing.

Bones didn't return the laughter, but I didn't expect him to. "After my vaccinations, I have to make sure you aren't carrying any venereal crap with you onto this ship."

I gave him a flat look. "Really? I'm a damned virgin, you quack!"

Bones returned the look with his patented scowl. "Careful about who you insult, or I'll accidentally give you an overdose of something that will have you begging for a quick death! As for my policy on venereal diseases, it's standard procedure for any visitor on this ship! And I swear to God, if I find one single strain of any Sexually Transmitted Diseases on you..." He didn't finish the sentence.

I frowned back. "Just because I've been spending time with a member of the opposite sex does not mean we've been rutting away like animals!"

Bones raised an eyebrow. "Well, if you are telling the truth, that's one mess I'll be glad not to deal with. And be honest: you have at least considered it!"

I winced, and changed the subject. _He knew me too well!_

"Kirk's in a bad way. He almost ripped me a new one when I protested against helping Starfleet."

Bones shrugged. "Well, when you kill a guy's mentor and friends, he tends not to ignore it."

I shrugged. "Understandable, I guess."

Bones then informed about the seventy two specialized torpedoes an Admiral had given us in the search for Harrison, Scotty's resignation, and the female stow-away turned weapons expert.

I hummed thoughtfully. "Whoever gave us those weapons wants Harrison dead in a big way. I can't believe Scotty resigned over that, even though the weapons are high powered! Who's the guy who got the replacement job?"

Bones chuckled. "Our resident Russian prodigy."

I tried not to look skeptical, but failed. "Chekov? Poor bastard!"

Bones chuckled. "Damn straight!"

After a moment of silence, he said. "Did Jim tell you we were going back to Quonos?"

I nodded. "Yeah, and he seemed to think I would collapse with fear from hearing that."

Bones shrugged. "That's not all that far from what you did when you were on this ship previously."

_Good point._ I quickly changed the subject.

"So what can you tell about Harrison?"

He shrugged. "Not much. He incited a bombing at a Starfleet facility, then ambushed a meeting of high-ranking Starfleet officers, and using a prototype hand-held transporter to vamoose. We've been sent to take care of him."

I shrugged. "I'll take care of him. He's a terrorist, and he shouldn't be too much to handle."

Bones nodded, and then sighed. "That's what Admiral Cartwright said about you."

I chuckled. "I'll bet he did! He'd love to have everyone believe that, wouldn't he?"

McCoy sighed. "You did start an interstellar war, you know."

I was about to snarl a reply, but once again, McCoy had a good point.

"I didn't mean to," I said weakly.

Bones shrugged. "I know, kid, I know."

After a minute of silence, McCoy checked the results. "Your medically cleared for duty, and you are still celibate. It looks like you are off the hook this time around."

I nodded. "You're damned right I am!"

Bones rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, stow it! Come to think of it, this might be the best shape that this Medical Station has ever seen you."

I snorted. "Very funny."

* * *

We were interrupted by a chime on McCoy's communicator, and he answered it. "This is the Medical Bay."

The answer was short and to the point. "Bones, this is the Captain speaking. Please inform Mr. Kempton that I have decided to capture Harrison and bring him back to face justice. Kirk out!"

It didn't take a genius to figure out that Kirk wanted a piece of Harrison, and this seemed to be perfect cover for Kirk, as he could say that, when he brought a fucked-up Harrison back to Earth, that Harrison had resisted arrest.

Realizing this, I swore, and grabbed the communicator. "Captain, this is Kempton. Orders understood, but I wish to speak with you privately about this mission."

There was a pause, then Kirk answered: "I'll be right down, Kirk out."

Bones grabbed the communicator from me. "Give me that! What are you doing?"

I sighed. "When we get to that hellhole, he's going to be too much of a liability for me to handle. He will certainly beam down to the planet with me, and he's going to screw things up by dinging up Harrison. I can't have an emotionally unstable guy watching my back, and the shit will really hit the fan if he comes with me. I want this to be quick and clean, and that won't happen if he comes with me."

Bones stared at the young man. "My God, man! Are you completely insane? He's the captain of the damned ship! How the hell are you going to even start to convince him not to go with you?"

I shrugged. "I'm still thinking about it, so I'm going to give you a rain-check on that."

Before Bones could say anything more, Kirk entered. "You wanted to see me?" he asked me.

I nodded. "Your instructions were clear, but I just want to do this alone. I work best on my own, and I don't want any of the crew to be involved, least of all the Captain of the ship."

Kirk frowned. "As always, I appreciate your concern for this crew, but I'm not letting you go at it without help. Spock, Uhura, and I will be joining you. I, more than anyone, know what you are capable of, but it would be stupid of you to go alone. Besides, I have a score to settle with this bastard."

I raised my hand. "Captain, I know how you feel about losing someone. It sucks, and you want revenge. But think of what I was like prior to my exile on the Vulcan colony: rash, unbalanced, and angry. My judgment was racked with insecurity and anger, and I was a danger to everyone. I'm not about to let you make the same mistake."

Kirk leveled a glare at me. "Zip it, and listen up: I can do whatever the hell I want, and you will _like_ it! I brought you on this ship because I need your help, but I won't have you making any demands of me. I'm the Captain of the ship, not you, and I can just as easily dump you back on the Vulcan colony if you can't handle it. Are we clear?"

I sighed, fighting down my anger. "Crystal clear, _Captain."_

_Kirk was very lucky that I had taken the Vulcan detour, otherwise I would rip his pretty face off!_

"Good. Get ready to go, as we will be there soon." And, with a nod to Bones, he left the room.

* * *

"Well, that went well."

Bones said. I shrugged. "I had to try. If I didn't respect him so much, I would feed him his teeth!"

Bones patted me on the shoulder in mock sympathy. "If it means anything to you, you had me convinced."

I smiled wearily. _Whatever would happen wasn't going to be pretty!_

* * *

**And that'll do it for the first chapter! Let me know what you guys think about it.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

On our way to the planet, our space warp was abruptly cut short. At that point, I was standing close to Kirk beside Bones, and I hung onto the railing for balance.

"Enginnering manually dropped us out of warp, Sir," Sulu reported.

Kirk switched on his Comm, looking royally pissed. "Mr. Chekov, did you break my ship?"

Chekov's reply came quickly. "Sorry Sir, I don't know what happened. The core overheated, and I had to activate the 'emergency stop.' It must be a coolant leak, and I need time to find it. I'm sorry!"

I rolled my eyes. _We really needed Scotty!_

Kirk cursed, and looked at Sulu. "Mr. Sulu, time to our destination?"

"Twenty minutes, Sir. That's twenty minutes in enemy space we weren't counting on."

Kirk nodded, and turned to Spock, Uhura, and me, Spock having just entered the bridge. "Ready to go to Quonos? Uhura, James, how's your Klingon?"

Uhura spoke before I did. "It's rusty, but good."

I spoke after her. "Same here, Captain."

He turned to Spock. "This isn't going to be a problem, is it? You working together?" he asked, looking between her and Spock.

"Absolutely not!" Uhura said, with more force than was necessary. With that, she left the Bridge, but not before giving Spock a frosty gaze.

"Unclear," Spock argued, looking grim.

Rolling his eyes, Kirk told him to meet him in the shuttle bay.

Spock left, and Bones approached Kirk. "Jim, you're not actually going down there, are you? You don't rob a bank when the get-away car has a flat tire! Besides, what if James is right-"

Kirk cut him off by engaging his comm. "I'm sure Engineering will have us all patched up by the time we get back. Isn't that right, Mr. Chekov?"

"Yes, Captain, I'll do my best, Sir!" Chekov replied, sounding a little dubious.

Kirk disengaged the Comm, and turned to Sulu. "Mr. Sulu, you have the Comm. Once we're on route, I want you to transmit a targeted Comm burst to Harrison's location. You tell him you have a bunch of real big torpedoes pointed at his head, and if he doesn't play nice, you're not afraid to use him. Plus," he added, glancing at me, "Tell him that we are sending in our resident Assassin to take care of him as well."

I gave Kirk a smirk, which he returned. _Nice touch, Boss!_

Sulu nodded, looking doubtful.

"Is that a problem?" Kirk asked, and Sulu shook his head. "No, Sir. I just never sat in The Chair before."

Kirk shrugged. "You're going to do great."

With that, he walked to the elevator, me following him.

"Jim, wait!" Bones stopped us, whispering so as not to be overheard. "You just sat that man down in a high-stakes poker game with no cards, and told him to bluff! Now, Sulu's a good man, but he's no captain."

Kirk shrugged. "For the next two hours, he is. And enough with the metaphors, all right? That's an order!"

I chuckled. "If it's any consolation, Captain, he doesn't use them when I'm around. Besides, I'm reasonably sure Bones can come up with something else than metaphors, in at least a few minutes!"

Bones gave me the Finger, and Kirk sent me a smile, then led me to the elevator, calling over his shoulder to Sulu to have the ship ready to fly.

As we made our way to the shuttle bay, dressed in dark suits that were better for stealth, Kirk looked at me, his eyes narrowed playfully. "Were you trying to justify your place on the Bridge back there?"

I shrugged, smirking. "Did it work? I think I would make a nice addition to the place. Hey, maybe I could be the Mascot of the Enterprise!" I finished, with fake excitement.

Kirk laughed. "I'll think about it."

As I entered the craft that had been recently captured by the Enterprise, I realized that I was actually going back to a place that I feared most of all.

_Fix bayonets, and sound the bugle!_

* * *

A few minutes later, we entered the planet's atmosphere, and I was clenching my fists, repeating mantras that the Vulcans had taught me.

Spock spoke over my mantra: "We will arrive at Harrison's location in three minutes, Captain. It is unlikely that he will come willingly. I calculate the odds of him attempting to kill us at 91.6 percent!"

Kirk rolled his eyes. "Fantastic! That's why I brought our own Assassin along for the ride: to even those odds."

Uhura spoke next, speaking to Spock: "It's a good thing you don't care about dying."

Spock turned to her. "I am sorry, Lieutenant, I could not hear-"

"I didn't say anything," she interrupted. She paused for a moment, then continued. "Actually, I'd be happy to speak if you are willing to listen to me."

They were sitting almost back to back, Kirk sitting almost in between them, his back to them both. I was pacing back and forth close by.

"Guys..." Both Kirk and I said, but they continued.

Spock spoke next. "Lieutenant, I would prefer to discuss this privately."

"You'd prefer not to discuss this at all."

Kirk tried to interrupt, but the argument continued.

Uhura spoke again, first to Kirk and then to Spock. "Just two seconds, Captain! At that volcano, you didn't give a thought to us, what it would do to me if you died, Spock. You didn't feel anything. You didn't care. And I'm not the only one who is upset with you: the Captain is too."

Kirk protested. "No, no, no! Hang on, don't drag me into this...she is right, though."

Spock spoke then. "Your suggestion that I do not care about dying is incorrect. A sentient being's optimal chance at maximizing their utility is a long and prosperous life."

"Great!" Uhura rolled her eyes.

Kirk spoke again. "Not exactly a love song, Spock."

Spock protested. "You misunderstand. It is true I chose not to feel anything in realizing that my own life was ending. As Admiral Pike was in the process of dying, I merged with his consciousness, and experienced what he felt at the moment of his passing: anger, confusion, lonliness, fear. I had experienced those feelings before, and to some extent, Mr. Kempton has experienced them as well. These feelings were multiplied exponentially when my planet was destroyed, and Mr. Kempton has felt them on a number of occasions. Such is the feeling I want never to experience again, and I'm reasonably certain that Mr. Kempton feels the same."

I shivered, and avoided Kirk's questioning look. _Spock was right, and he was hitting too close to home_.

Spock continued. "Nyota, you mistake my choice not to feel as a reflection of not caring. Well, I assure you, the truth is precisely the opposite."

There was a short pause, and then an explosion rocked the ship, sending me crashing to the deck of the small ship.

"What the hell was that?" Both Kirk and I said at the same time.

Spock replied. "We are being pursued by a D-4 Class Klingon vessel!" I was helped into a chair by the two security guards who had come along for the ride.

_ I should have been strapped in_, I thought, wincing at the slight pain in my ribs.

"So much for an abandoned fucking sector!" I growled, shaking my head to clear my vision.

"It must be a random patrol!" Uhura said, and Kirk told us to hold on.

"This ship has no offensive capabilities," Spock said, and I rolled my eyes. "We never do make things easy for ourselves, do we?" I asked snarkily.

Kirk ignored me. "It's got us. Give me all six fuel cells."

What followed was a spectacular chase through a bunch of old ruins, Kirk expertly guiding us through the mess. I was thankful that I didn't have motion sickness.

Kirk spotted a thin space between two structures, and said. "There! We can lose them there!"

I shook my head. "We're not going to fit, Boss!"

Spock agreed with me. "You are suggesting that we utilize the passage between the approaching structures? This ship will not fit!"

"We'll fit!"

"Captain, we will not fit!"

"We'll fit, _we'll fit_!" Kirk screamed, cringing as he guided us towards the space.

"Captain, if we die, I'm going to kill you!" I snarled.

"The statistical probability of such a feat is quite remote, Mr. Kempton!"

"Shut up, Spock!"

Somehow, we did make it through, after a few tense, not to mention bouncy, seconds.

After he got his breath back, Kirk said, "I told you we'd fit!"

I was tempted to stun his ass, but didn't. "We're still going to have a talk about this later, Kirk!" I growled.

Spock joined in. "I'm not sure that qualifies, Captain."

After a brief spanse of seconds, we stopped short, surrounded by Klingon vessels.

Uhura commentated as a Klingon spoke through their ships comm: "They're ordering us to land. Captain, they're going to want to know why we are here, and they're going to torture us, question us, and they are going to kill us!"

I smirked. "Not as long as I'm around!"

Spock looked at me. "Might I enquire as to your future intentions concerning our present situation?"

I nodded, preparing my various Phasers and Klingon sword. "You may, Spock! I plan to kill as many of those bastards as I can, all the while drawing their attention away from you, while you hunt down Harrison. I haven't _ganked_ somebody in so long, and who better than slaughtering those weird-faced scumbags?"

Spock raised an eyebrow. "The statistical possibility of your plan succeeding is so remote that-"

Kirk interrupted, speaking to Spock then to me. "Spock, don't encourage him! Mr. Kempton, I'm the Captain here, so your terrible plan is revoked. Now, listen up! This is what we'll do."

* * *

Moments later, Uhura and I ventured out into the space created by rocks and old wreckage, while the rest of the small crew waited behind us, weapons at the ready.

"Remember, big Sis: you be the good cop, and I'll be the bad cop. You'll be just fine!" I said, hiding my own fears.

She nodded, looking none too convinced as a small Klingon patrol emerged from one of the landed crafts.

When they were close enough, Uhura began to speak in Klingonese: "With respect, there is a criminal hiding in these ruins. He has killed many of our people."

The Klingon took off his helmet, and demanded, "Why should I care about a human killing humans?"

I smirked back, and brought the Klingon sword I had taken from Captain Kang years ago into full view. "Because Klingons are easier to kill than humans, and we fear for your safety!" I replied, in the same language.

Klingons regarded most humans as beings without honor, but winning a Captain's Sword implicated otherwise. I thought that it might garner respect from the Klingons.

The Klingon stared at me for a long moment, than turned back to Uhura, who answered his question: "Because you care about honor, and this man has none. You and your people are in danger."

The Klingon paused, then seized me by the throat in a sudden move. Uhura backed off, not stupid enough to come to my aid.

"I recognize you. You are the human who killed my cousin!" He said, and I gasped for breath before replying.

"And I enjoyed it-"

I was cut off by a figure leaping out a nowhere to my far right, blowing away the patrol like it was easy.

I joined in, my sword cutting off the hand that gripped me, and then the head of the hand's owner.

Uhura, to her credit, used a knife to slash another's throat before Kirk and the others came rushing in.

I drew two of my Phasers, and fired both, taking down another two Klingons, before plunging the sword into the chest of another, who was trying to kill Kirk with his own blade.

The figure took care of the rest, using dual guns that looked huge, taking down both ships and their Klingon owners. The Klingons dropped more reinforcements, but they did not help.

When all this was done, the figure approached us, removing his hood. He was tall, and had a clean-shaven pasty face with black hair and hard blue eyes. "How many torpedoes?" He growled, his rifle pointed at Kirk.

"Stand down!" Spock said, but he was ignored, and then disarmed, as the man repeated his question, as he blasted Spock's weapon. "The weapons, the torpedoes, the ones you threatened me with in your message, how many are there?"

Kirk said nothing, and the anger in his eyes told me who this man was.

"Seventy-two." Spock answered. Harrison surrendered immediately afterwards, without a fight.

I aimed my Phasers at the prisoner, as Kirk rose. "On behalf of Christopher Pike, my friend, I accept your surrender." And then Kirk punched him repeatedly, unable to contain himself.

Oddly, the man seemed unaffected by the bludgeoning, as I was forced to drag Kirk off of him before things went too far, although it was Kirk who seemed more the worse for wear afterwards, as I more or less helped Kirk stay on his own feet.

"Cuff him!" Kirk said to me, before shaking me off, and reentering the vessel we had commandeered, as I did just that, Harrison's eyes met mine in a cold stare that I returned with interest as I slapped the cuffs onto his wrists.

"An Assassin. A relic of the distant past." His voice was very deep, and he had cold blue eyes.

I smirked in return. "I may be from the distant past, but now I will be your worst nightmare!" I replied, before stunning him right in his pasty face!

* * *

As we got him on board, Kirk ordered me to accompany Bones and him to the Brig. He then told Uhura to notify Starfleet of the capture of Harrison, who was being marched into the Brig by heavily armed guards.

"Why the hell did he surrender?" Bones asked, after Kirk and I met up with him on the way to the Brig. We had changed into our original uniforms, and gotten cleaned up.

"I don't know," Kirk said.

I spoke up. "What we do know is that he took out a squad of Klingons single-handedly. He's trying to put me out of a job!"

Bones rolled his eyes. "Sounds like we have a superman on board."

I shook my head. "Two super men on board, including yours truly!"

"Shut up, James!" Both Kirk and Bones snarled, and I gave them a mock-hurt expression, as we came upon the man in question, who was trapped in the same room that I had woken up in years ago, when I first came to the Enterprise, not to mention the 23rd century!

Bones approached him first, and spoke through the intercom to the prisoner: "Put your arm through the hole. I'm gonna take a sample."

The man complied, then turned to Kirk. "Why aren't we moving, Captain? An unexpected malfunction, perhaps in your warp core, conveniently stranding you on the edge of Klingon space?"

Bones looked at him. "How the hell do you know that?"

"Bones," warned Kirk.

The man continued. "I think you'll find my insight valuable, Captain."

I shrugged, as Bones departed to check the sample. "Whatevs, creep! I'm surprised you can talk after I stunned you in your pasty face!" I called over my shoulder, as Kirk and I began to walk away from the cell.

"Ignore me, and you will get everyone on this ship killed."

Kirk stopped, and I turned to him. "Don't listen to him, Chief. He's just trying to get into your head."

He turned, and I followed him as he returned to face the convict. "Let me explain what's happening here. You are a _criminal_! I watched you murder innocent men and women. I was authorized to _end_ you! And the _only_ reason why you are still alive, and not killed by my Assassin, is because I allow it, so _shut your mouth_!"

_Oooh, burned!_

The man looked vaguely amused, his cold blue eyes indifferent. "Oh, Captain, are you going give me to your pet Assassin to be killed? Clearly you want to, so tell me, why did you allow me to live?"

Kirk glared back. "We all make mistakes."

The man pursed his lips, looking smug. "No. I surrendered to you because your attempts to convince me otherwise, you seem to have a conscience, Mr. Kirk. If you did not, then it would be impossible for me to convince you of the truth. 23-17-46-11. Coordinates not far from Earth. If you want to know why I did what I did, go and take a look."

Kirk frowned. "Give me one reason why I should listen to you."

"I can give you 72, and they're on board your ship, Captain. They have been all along. I suggest you open one up."

With that, We left him there.

* * *

"Are you out of your corn-fed mind?"

We had met up with Bones a few minutes later, on the Bridge with Spock, and Bones was chewing Kirk to peices. "You're not actually going to listen to this guy?"

Kirk had called a smashed Scotty about those coordinates, and admitted that he had been right about those torpedoes.

I spoke after Bones. "I have to agree with the Doc here on this, Cap. While it is kinda wierd how that douchebag knows about the weapons, he's probably got us searching for dead ends."

Bones continued from where I left off. "I mean, he killed Pike, he almost killed you, and now you think it's a good idea to pop open a torpedo because he dared you to."

Kirk sighed. "Then why did he save our lives, you two?"

I shrugged, and Spock spoke up. "The Doctor and Mr. Kempton do have a point, Captain."

Bones snorted. "Don't agree with me, Spock. It makes me feel very uncomfortable."

Spock sent him a look. "Perhaps you, too, should learn to govern your emotions, Doctor. In this situation, logic dictates..."

I winced, as Bones scoffed. "Logic!? Oh, my God! There's a maniac trying to make us blow up our own damn ship and..."

I raised my hand. "Well, not really. Look, I don't know why he didn't use us as his new punching bag, especially after Chuck Liddell here teed off on him!" I said, looking at Kirk.

He frowned, not looking contrite at all. "Who's Chuck Liddell?"

I shook my head, sighing. "It doesn't matter. The point is that he seemed pretty certain that we would find something, and not get blown sky-high."

Kirk nodded. "That's true, kid. Look, we're gonna open a torpedo. The question is how."

I shook my head. "If we don't have Scottie, who is most qualified to handle opening up Pandora's Box?"

Spock spoke up. "The Admiral's daughter appeared to have an interest in the torpedoes, and she is a weapon specialist. Perhaps she could be of use."

Kirk turned to him. "What Admiral's daughter?"

"Carol Marcus. Your new science officer, concealed her identity to board the ship."

I frowned at Kirk. "Wait, you didn't know that?"

Kirk ignored me, looking at Spock. "When were you going to tell me that?"

"When it became relevant. As it just did," he finished, hiding a smug smile with difficulty.

Kirk turned to me, rolling his eyes. "Okay, okay! I'll deal with that in a minute! Mr. Kempton, I need you to take care of something for me. I need you to keep an eye on Harrison for me, and see if you can squeeze anymore information out of him."

I frowned. "He's in the Brig, under the eyes of several security guys, not to mention he's behind a force-field. He's got nowhere to go, and why the hell would he want to speak to me?"

* * *

A few minutes later, I entered the Brig, muttering threats and curses under my beath, and approached Harrison.

He smiled, spreading his hands out in welcome. "So, Assassin, come to kill me? That is what you do best, correct?"

I grimaced, wanting to do just that. "I'd love to, I really would, but I'm not here for that. As much as I'd like to gut you like a fish, I'm here to talk."

He smiled coldly. "Enough about me. What about you?"

I frowned, not expecting that. "What about me?"

"According to Starfleet records, you used to be, how can I put this? public enemy number one. Now, you serve the same organization that has been trying to hunt you down. The irony of this had not escaped your attention...or has it?"

I snorted, stunned. "You know nothing about me!"

"On the contrary, Assassin, I know all there is to know about you: the Assassins, Abstergo, Quonos..._everything_! It's all in Starfleet's records. James Kempton, the last of the Assassins."

I brought my hands together, clapping them mockingly, hiding my shock. "Cookie for you, _Sherlock Holmes **(Cumberbatch plays both characters, btw, so that's why I added that in)**_! All that is in the past, though. Now that I'm no longer on the Galaxy's shit-list, I can do whatever I please."

The man's eyes were every bit as mocking as my clapping hands. "And it pleases you to return to the ship that got you into this mess, does it?"

I snorted. "I wouldn't expect you to know about loyalty and family."

He flinched, as if I had struck him. "Oh, you are quite wrong in both counts, Mr. Kempton. But now that you have returned to the Enterprise, what now?"

I shrugged. "I stay on the Enterprise, and tag along as they explore space."

The man shook his head. "You poor deluded boy! Do you really think Starfleet will ever let you have the life that you dream of. You fight like no one else alive, but you have the mind of a _child_!"

It was my turn to flinch, and I began to pace in front of his cell, as he continued. "When you align yourself with the Enterprise, you assign yourself to the very company that wants you dead, and me in prison or worse."

I interrupted him. "So? The crew trusts me, and that's all that matters. I'll deal with Starfleet when I'm ready to tangle with them."

Harrison raised a hand. "I've already taken care of some potential targets for you. You should be thanking me."

I stopped in front of him, seething. "I owe you nothing, and you killed innocent civilians as well Starfleet!"

Harrison laughed coldly. "You surprise me, child. Any true warrior knows there is no such thing as an innocent being-"

I scoffed. "Oh, so you are a warrior now? No, you are a goddamned_ terrorist_, and a_ murderer_, and you will get what's coming to you."

Harrison smirked, and I wished I could kill him, now more than ever. "Well, that makes the two of us, doesn't it, James Kempton? You are also a terrorist, and a murderer, and you will also get what is coming to you."

I pointed my finger at him, losing all my composure. "I am nothing like you! If you threaten or try to harm any member of the Enterprise's crew, I will kill you slowly and painfully, and I will enjoy it!"

I whirled, and started for the elevator, leaving Harrison standing there, his words following me to the lift.

"We are in the same situation. We are warriors, and we are the most dangerous beings in this Galaxy. Two like minds think alike, and when I am put away, they will come after you. You will join me, sooner or later!"

I allowed the doors of the elevator to close, swearing in several different languages.

But, I knew, deep down, that he had some good points!

* * *

**So, how do you like the story so far? I'm certainly enjoying writing this. Read and review, because only reviews tell me that my readers are interested or not, but no pressure. Toodles!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

I joined Kirk and Spock as they debriefed McCoy and Marcus on their findings concerning the advanced missiles in the Medical Bay, having just returned from my shouting match with Harrison.

I was already pissed off, and it got worse when I found out Bones had come very close to dying, if not for the timely intervention of the Admiral's daughter. I guess she could be trusted, in that regard, but my suspicions about her were not relieved.

"What've we got?" Kirk asked both of them, Spock and me following behind him.

"It's quite clever, actually. The fuel container has been removed from the torpedo, and retrofitted to hide this Cryotube." said Marcus, busy at work removing different pieces of torpedo, and I followed her movements suspiciously, until I saw that a man was inside the Cryotube.

"Holy shit!" I swore, moving in closer to investigate.

Kirk joined me. "Is he alive?"

Bones nodded. "He's alive, but if we try to revive him without the proper syncrecy, it could kill him. This is a technology beyond me."

"How advanced, Doctor?" Spock asked, and Marcus replied. "It's not advanced. That Cryotube is ancient."

McCoy spoke again. "We haven't needed to freeze anyone since we developed warp capability. Which explains the most interesting thing about him: Our friend here, he's three hundred years old!"

All eyes turned to me, save Marcus's.

"What? I didn't do squat!" I objected, raising my hands in innocence.

"Why would he be under suspicion?" Marcus asked, looking at me. Marcus knew a Philadelphian accent when she heard it.

I leveled a glare at her. "Haven't the foggiest!"

Kirk turned to me. "Try to get Harrison talking again. Spock and I are coming with."

* * *

It took us only a few minutes to get there. "So, care to explain the man inside our newest torpedoes?" I asked coldly, standing between Kirk and Spock.

"There are men and women inside all those torpedoes, Assassin, I put them there."

I sighed, relieved that he was finally coming clean.

I glanced at Kirk, who nodded at me to proceed. "Okay. Start talking. Who the hell are you?"

Harrison tilted his head, and regarded me. "Like you, I am a remnant of a time long passed. Genetically engineered to be superior, so as to lead others to peace in a world at war. We, like your Order, were condemned as criminals, forced into exile. For centuries, we slept, hoping that, when we awoke, things would be different," he said, and turned to Spock before continuing.

"But, after the destruction of Vulcan, and the renewal of hostilities between Earth and the Klingons (here, he looked at me), your Starfleet began to aggressively search distant quadrants of space. My ship was found adrift, I alone was revived."

Kirk interrupted. "I looked up 'John Harrison.' Until a year ago, he didn't even exist."

Impatient, the big man rose. "John Harrison was a fiction the moment I was woken by your Admiral Marcus to help him advance his cause, the smokescreen to cover my true identity. My name is _Kahn_!" He finished, overdramatically.

"Why would a Starfleet Admiral ask a three hundred year-old frozen man for help?"

Kahn gestured to me. "Ask your Assassin. He knows the truth, the threat that you face."

Kirk sent me a look, silently promising that he would do just that later.

"As for myself, it was because I am better."

Kirk frowned. "At what?"

"_Everything_. Alexander Marcus needed to respond to an uncivilized threat to a civilized time, and for that, he needed a warrior's mind, my mind, to design weapons and war-ships."

It was at that point that I realized the potential of this...person, how valuable could he be to the Order, if I could harness him and and his mind!

Spock interrupted my musings. "You are suggesting that a Starfleet Admiral violated every regulation he vowed to uphold, simply because he wanted to exploit his intellect."

Kahn turned to him, sneering. "He wanted to exploit my savagery! Intellect alone is useless in a fight, Mr. Spock. You can't even break a rule, how can you be expected to break bone?"

He turned back to me. "Marcus used me to design weapons, to help him realize his vision of a militarized Starfleet."

He pointed to me. "Your arrival only whetted his appetite, Assassin, and that was when he woke me up."

Then, he turned to Kirk. "He sent you to use those weapons, to fire my torpedoes on an unsuspecting planet. And then, he purposefully crippled your ship in enemy space, leading to one inevitable outcome: the Klingons, who'd come searching for who was responsible, and you would have had no means of escape. Marcus would finally have the war he talked about, the war he always wanted."

Kirk shook himself. "No! I watched you open fire on a room of unarmed Starfleet officers. You killed them, in cold blood!"

Kahn grimaced, looking away. "Marcus took my crew from me-"

"You are a murderer-"

"-used my friends against me, to control me."

After a long pause, he continued, emotionally. "I tried to smuggle them to safety in the very weapons I had designed. But I was discovered, I had no choice but to escape alone. And when I did, I had every reason to suspect Marcus had killed every single one of the people I hold most dear. So I responded in kind."

He turned back to regard me and Kirk, and I realized that he had been crying. "My crew is my family, Kirk. Is there anything you would not do for your family? And what of the Enterprise and your Assassin Order, Assassin?"

I avoided both Kahn and Kirk's searching gaze, the latter making it quite clear that the Order would be discussed thoroughly later.

Kirk seemed to consider Kahn's words for a moment, then we were interrupted by Sulu, who announced that there was a ship heading our way fast.

Before going to the Bridge, Kirk told me to get Kahn to the Medical Bay, and keep him there.

* * *

I approached the cell, as the Red Alert klaxon blared. I powered down the cell, and pointed my phaser at Kahn warningly. "Follow me to the Medical Bay, and if you make any funny moves, I'll blow your pasty face off your_ superior_ skull. Get me?"

Kahn followed obediently, as I was joined by six security officers on the way to the Medical Bay.

On our way, we heard Kirk and Admiral Marcus bickering: "Where is your prisoner, Kirk?"

"Per Starfleet regulations, we're planning to return Kahn to Earth to stand trial."

"Well, shit! You talked to him. That's exactly what I was hoping to spare you from. I took a tactical risk, and woke that bastard up, believing that his superior intelligence could help us protect ourselves for whatever came at us next. But I made a mistake. Now the blood of everybody who's been killed is on my hands. So I'm asking you: give him to me, so that I can end what I started."

There was a short pause, then: "What exactly would you like me to do with the rest of his crew, Sir? Fire them at the Klingons, and end 72 lives? Start a war in the process?"

"He put those people in those torpedoes, and I simply didn't want to burden you with knowing what was inside of them. You saw what this man can do all by himself. Can you imagine what would happen if we woke up the rest of his crew? What else did he tell you? That he's a peacekeeper? He's playing you, son, don't you see that? Kahn and his crew were condemned to death as war criminals, and now it is our duty to carry out that sentence, before anybody else dies because of him.

He paused, then continued. "I'm going to ask you again, one last time, son: lower your shields, tell me where he is, just like what happened with the Assassin. He was every bit the threat that Kahn is, maybe even worse, and I had to do what was necessary by giving him to the Klingons, and I will do what I have to do to take down another menace."

I stiffened. So that was him, not Cartwright. _Both of those men were Templars!_

There was a long pause, then Kirk said: "He's in engineering, Sir, but I'll have him moved to the Transporter Bay right away."

I frowned. _What the hell?_

Kahn smiled at me. "It seems that Captain Kirk has made a decision."

I nodded, making mine as well. "If I help you take down Marcus, will you help me and my Order take down the Templars? You can have your crew, and anything else you want. I need your help, and I need it badly. All I ask is that you leave the Enterprise and her crew unharmed."

Kahn gazed hard at me, and then replied. "It seems that I am quite the commodity these days! Help me destroy Marcus, and I will consider my options."

Using the Comm to the Bridge, I contacted Kirk. "Captain, I have a plan. Me and Kahn can take down Marcus, while you sit tight-"

Kirk interrupted. "That's exactly where I was headed. I'm going into warp, and put as much distance as possible between us, and as we do, I'll figure something out."

* * *

He tried doing just that, but somehow, Marcus was able to pursue us, and beat the crap out of the Enterprise, but was momentarily halted when his daughter tried to talk sense to him.

Undaunted by her protests, he beamed her aboard his ship.

Kirk was forced to literally beg for the lives of his crew, in exchange for anything Marcus wanted. Just like a Templar, the evil man refused, and commanded his guns to fire.

I bowed my head, thinking all was over, but the ship didn't fire on the Enterprise.

"The ship has their weapons powered down, Sir." Sulu said, and a voice on the Enterprise's comm hailed us: "Enterprise, can you hear me?"

_It was Scotty! He had snuck onto the enemy ship, following Kahn's coordinates_.

Kirk, after conversing with him, gave the comm to Spock.

I had a bad feeling about what Kirk was doing, but we were running out of options.

* * *

Confirming my suspicions, Kirk entered the Medical Bay minutes later, and walked straight up to us. "Tell me everything you know about that ship," he demanded, looking at Kahn.

He replied readily. "Dreadnaught Class. Two times the size, three times the speed. Advanced weaponry, modified crew. Unlike most Federation vessels, it's built solely for combat."

Kirk paused, then said: "I will do everything I can to make you answer for what you did...but right now, I need your help."

I really, _really_ didn't like the way this conversation was headed, and I made to cut in, but Kahn interrupted me. "In exchange for what?"

"You said you would do anything for your crew. I can guarantee their safety."

"Captain, you can't even guarantee the safety of your own crew."

After a long moment of silence, Kirk engaged Bones in a conversation about a Tribble, and Bones told him that the Tribble was dead, and that he was injecting it with Kahn's blood, whose cells regenerate faster than Bones had ever seen.

Kirk gestured to Kahn and me, and detailed his plan as we followed.

As I walked along the hallways, following Kirk, who was telling Scotty, who had somehow managed to sneak onto Marcus's ship and save us all, that he planned to come over to Scotty.

When Scotty asked for specifics, Kahn more or less stated that he needed Scotty to manually open an airlock into space, and Kirk made sure that Sulu had the Enterprise positioned.

As the three of us donned space gear, we listened to Scotty running around, trying to open a small hatch for us.

After a long wait, we were clear to proceed. "Are you ready?"

Kirk asked us.

"Are you?" Kahn asked in a droll voice.

"Right behind you, Boss!" I said.

* * *

The jump was awesome! Our ships were facing off over Earth, so we got a good view of it as we hurtled through and around debris on our way to the ship.

We were somehow successful, despite a great deal of drama (Kirk lost his helmet display, and I had to help him get there. Also, Scotty was a little out of sync in timing.) with the door opening, and we zoomed through the port, landing at the Engineer's feet when he closed it.

"Welcome aboard!" Scotty said, looking flustered.

"Good to see you in one piece, Scotty." I said.

He gave me a nod. "I can say the same for you, Lad!"

Kirk introduced Scotty to Kahn, who told us that he knew the fastest way to the Bridge.

Kirk handed Kahn a Phaser from his backpack, taking one for himself.

I had brought all my weapons under my suit.

"These are set to stun," Kirk said, and Kahn snorted. "Their's won't be."

I met Kirk's eyes with mine. "Neither will mine, Boss."

He nodded. "Then try not to get shot!"

* * *

We made our way through the ship, Kahn guiding us.

"They're going to have full power, and we're walking?" Scotty asked, and Kahn answered without looking back. "The turbolifts are easily tracked by Marcus, and would have us in a cage."

He came to a console, and worked his magic on it, talking without missing a beat: "This path runs adjacent to the Engine Room. They know they won't be able to use their weapons without disabling the Warp Core, which gives us the advantage."

Scotty turned to Kirk and me. "Where did you find this guy?"

I sighed, trying not to sound as though I was a fan of this creep. "Long story," Kirk and I said at the same time.

"He reminds me of you, actually." Scotty continued, looking at me.

"Thanks a lot, _Scotland_! That makes me feel so much better!" I said, rolling my eyes.

"He's actually not far off the mark, James." Kirk ascertained.

"You're not helping, dammit!"

"Now you sound like Bones." Kirk said, unable to contain himself.

"Shut up, Captain!" I snarled, as we followed him along the hallway he had indicated.

* * *

"I don't mean to tempt fate, but where is everybody?" Scotty said, after a minute's walk. Kahn, managing to both look bored of answering questions and being completely in touch with his surroundings, answered: "This ship is designed to be flown by few, one if necessary."

"One-" Scotty began, but was interrupted as we were waylaid by several guards, but Kahn and me took care of most of them in seconds.

"Come with me, if you want your revenge sooner rather than later!" Kahn said to me, ignoring the others, and forged ahead.

I followed him, after seeing that Kirk and Scotty were holding their own.

As we passed through several passageways, Kahn glanced at me. "Why do you abase yourself with having an emotional connection with the Enterprise?"

I shrugged. "They got me out of harm's way more than once, and I owe them."

"They also gave you up to the Klingons without a fight," Kahn noted, and I shook my head. "They came back for me, and they're like my family!"

Kahn snorted. "You have been blessed by talents few possess, and you can do so much better than them!"

I glared at him. "Maybe I could, but I don't. The Enterprise is my home, and that won't change anytime soon."

Kahn's eyes met mine, and I was surprised to see respect in his gaze, amidst the anger and annoyance. "Your enemy is the Federation, so one day, you will have to choose between the Assassins and the Enterprise."

I nodded. "I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. Right now, we've got more pressing concerns. I can't wait to see the Admiral's face when he realizes that I'm here, and I sure as hell can't wait to see his blood on my hands!"

Kahn smirked. "You have the face of a child, but your mind is something else entirely!" From Kahn, I guessed that was a compliment, but it didn't feel like one to me!

Just then, we came across Kirk and Scotty. "This way," Kahn intoned, then kept going.

"Howdy, Chief!" I said, nodding as I joined the two of them.

"The minute we get to the Bridge, drop him!" Kirk said to the both of us.

"Tall order, Boss! That guy's like a tank!" I protested, and Scotty agreed. "What, stun him? Kahn? I thought he was helping us."

Kirk shook his head grimly. "I'm pretty sure we are helping him."

* * *

Minutes later, we stormed the Bridge. Kirk and Scotty using stunners, while Kahn and I went for kills.

In what seemed like seconds, the Bridge was ours.

Kirk gave a nod to Scotty, who took out Kahn.

I stepped in front of the Admiral, smiling at coming to my long-awaited revenge, cracking my knuckles smugly. "Hello, Templar scum! Remember me?"

Before the Admiral could answer, Kirk shoved me out of the way, and confronted the Admiral. "Admiral Marcus, you are under arrest."

The Admiral snorted. "You're not actually going to do this, are you?"

Kirk didn't flinch. "Admiral, get out of the chair."

The Admiral didn't move, and I spoke angrily, "Screw arresting this guy! It's his fault, all of it. As long as he lives, I won't have any peace!"

The Admiral ignored me, still looking at Kirk, who ignored me as well. "You'd better stop and think about what you are doing, Kirk. You'd better think about your Assassin _attack-dog_, and what you did on Quonos! You made an incursion onto an enemy planet, you killed a Klingon patrol. Even if you got away without a trace, war is coming! And who's going to lead us, _you_? If I'm not in charge, our entire way of life is decimated! So if you want me out off this ship, you'd better kill me!"

I nodded, gesturing to the Admiral. "Listen to him, Kirk: putting the blame onto everybody else, the militaristic bullshit, the power-grabbing! This is what Templars do, and they've been doing this for thousands of years. Well, this is what the Assassins do: take out the trash, and restore liberty and free will!"

With that, I prepared my hidden blade for the kill, and stepped forward.

Kirk shoved me back again, still looking at the Admiral. "Just hold on a second, James!" He said to me, then continued to speak to the Admiral.

"I'm not going to kill you, Sir. But I could let my Assassin cut you apart peice by peice until you get your ass out of that chair. I'd rather not do that in front of your daughter, all right?" He finished, looking at Dr. Marcus, who nodded.

I rolled my eyes, losing my temper. "Oh, screw this!" I snarled, but before I could move, Kahn woke.

* * *

In a single move, he rose, knocking Scotty out.

He lunged for Kirk, but I pushed my Captain out of the way, colliding with Kahn in mid-air.

With a snarl, he engaged me, incompacitating me in a flurry of viscious strikes, before throwing Kirk aside, who had sprung to my aid.

I watched as he strode over to the Admiral, breaking the knee-cap of the Admiral's daughter after she begged him to stop, and seizing the Admiral's face in his huge hands.

"You should have let me sleep!" He snarled, before crushing the Admiral's skull in his grip.

He strode over to Kirk, shoving him into the viewscreen as he switched the comm on. "I'm going to make this very simple for you." Kahn said, as I climbed slowly to my feet, out of his sight.

"Captain!" Spock's voice sounded shocked.

Kahn smiled. "Your crew for my crew!"

"You betrayed us!" Spock growled.

"Oh, you are smart, Mr. Spock"

"Spock, don't-" Kirk began, but Kahn knocked him out.

I used this time to stagger to my feet, as Kahn continued. "Spock, give me my crew."

"And what will you do when you get them?"

"Continue the work we have been doing before we were banished."

Spock was not impressed, as off-screen, I prepared to attack. "Which, as I understand it, involves the mass suicide of any being you find to be less than superior."

"Shall I destroy you, Mr. Spock, or will you give me what I want?" I sprinted forward, and lunged for the throat of the man who threatened my family.

Kahn caught me by the throat, and pulled me into view. "Or better yet, maybe I should destroy the Enterprise's prized Assassin!"

I roared with rage, hands straining to kill. "Spock, get out of-"

I never finished the sentence. Without missing a beat, Kahn grabbed one of my phasers from my belt, and fired, point-blank, into the center of my chest.

I gasped and gagged, the breath snatched from my throat, staring down at the sizzling hole in my uniform in disbelief.

"You could have been one of us, one of my people, but you chose them. Now, you pay for that choice!" Kahn snarled into my face, before throwing me aside.

I was forced to watch, fighting hard to stay awake, as a defeated Spock answered after a long moment: "We have lost transporting capabilities."

Kahn shrugged. "Fortunately, mine are perfectly functional. Drop your shields!"

"If I do so, I have no guarantee that you will not destroy the Enterprise."

Kahn smirked. "Well, let's play this out logically, Mr. Spock: firstly, I will kill your Captain and finish your Assassin demonstrate my resolve. Then, if yours holds, I will have no choice but to kill you, and your entire crew!"

I tried to crawl towards Kahn, but my body wouldn't respond.

"If you destroy our ship, you will also kill your people."

"Your crew requires oxygen to survive. Mine does not. I will target your life-support systems, and after every person aboard your ship suffocates, I will walk over your cold corpses to recover my people! Now, shall we begin?" He finished.

Spock lowered the shields, and Kahn smiled, while giving the awakened Kirk a kick to the stomach. "A wise choice, Mr. Spock."

* * *

In a short time, the transaction was complete.

Kahn, ignoring the feebily-stirring Kirk, thanked Spock.

"I have fulfilled your terms. Now, fulfill mine!"

Kahn smiled. "Well, Kirk, it seems apt to return you to your crew. After all, no ship should go down without her Captain."

With that, Scotty, Kirk, and the Admiral's daughter faded away via the transporter, and I followed them, blacking out as I did so.

The last thing I saw before darkness claimed me was the sight of the Transporter Bay.

_I was home._

* * *

**I might seem like a dick to end the chapter here, but I never said I was a nice guy! I leave you with a hell of a cliffhanger, don't I? **

**I was going to have Kahn say to James, as he shot him: "The Grand Master of the Templars sends his regards," but that would have been a little too plagaristic of me, so I abstained from doing so. **

**Read and review, Peeps! I want to know your reactions to this cliffhanger! **


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"Well well, quite a mess you made!"

I woke up in a white nothingness, save for the man that was standing at my feet. He looked about my age, was tall, had a red beard and short red hair, a oval tough-looking face, and strange grey eyes that missed nothing. He also wore Assassin clothing that looked like they had belonged in the late Middle Ages.

"Who the heck are you?" I asked, and the man held out his hand to help me to my feet.

"Arthur Auditore, at your service. I'm your guardian, son." I accepted the help, noting the drawl of the American South in the man's voice.

"Good job so far! So, am I dead?" I asked, looking down to see my chest wound was gone.

"Nope, not unless you want to be."

I snorted. "I actually have a choice?"

Arthur shrugged. "Yeah, thanks to your resilient spirit, and the Boss's orders. You've still got a lot to accomplish, and I've only just been assigned to you. I was busy with another guy, but he doesn't need me anymore, and I thought_ that_ kid was high maintenance!"

I glared at him. "Go to hell, you red-neck bastard! I was getting the shit kicked out of me, with the entire _fucking_ weight of the Assassin Brotherhood on my shoulders, while you weren't giving a damn!"

I then went into a rant about how much had happened to me, and how pissed off I was about it.

When I was done at least two minutes later, I was out of breath, and Arthur was grinning. "That's quite a vocabulary, kid. Not bad at all."

He sighed, then continued. "Listen, kid, I'm not saying that you've had the ideal life, or that what's happened to you is very fair, I'll give you that. But whatever happened, the very fact that you try your damndest is the reason why my boss wants you to continue your work. She's giving you another shot, although we would prefer it if you didn't make dying a habit."

I frowned. "Really? Wow, I was expecting it to be harder than that!"

Arthur shrugged. "So did I, but she likes to run a smooth operation. Look, what you need to realize is that you aren't alone in this. The Enterprise will always be there for you, no matter what, especially the Doctor. As a matter of fact, he's trying to bring you back this very second!"

I frowned, and Arthur grasped my arm. "Good luck, kid, and don't forget what I've told you!"

* * *

Bones wildly pushed at Jame's chest, refusing to give up, ignoring the pitying looks from Doctor Marcus, whose knee he had splinted earlier.

It was ten minutes since Kirk had brought the kid and Marcus to the Medical Bay, and the Doctor could barely contain himself when he saw the kid's chest wound.

"Doctor, he took a shot directly to the chest. No one can survive that," Marcus was saying, but McCoy ignored her.

Somehow, James barely had any pulse, but Bones had not lost hope.

"Ow, get of me, dammit!"

Bones sighed in relief, sinking into his chair, as I groaned from the flood of pain that greeted me when I awoke. "Dammit, don't do that again, Kid!"

"How are you still alive? You took a shot that would have killed other men!" Marcus asked me, white with shock.

"I eat right and exercise!" I offered, shrugging. "Wait, the Enterprise, Kirk!" I started, suddenly remembering why I was in this position. Kahn had shot me while threatening to blow up the Enterprise!

"Oh no, you don't!" Bones growled, pushing me back down.

"The Enterprise..." I began, but Bones kept me down. "Jim and Spock are doing just fine without you, and you aren't in any condition to help them. That Phaser beam burned a whole the size of a quarter in your gut, and almost hit your spine, so sit your ass down!"

His words were compounded by the almost crippling pain in my chest, and both were enough to keep me from rising out of the medical bed.

Bones then proceeded to tell me of Spock's plan to beam the torpedoes and the people in them onto Kahn's vessel, and rig them to explode, while Bones kept the 72 people in Cryotubes.

"Son of a bitch!" I said, patting him on the shoulder. They did so, but the Enterprise got a pounding, and was now in freefall over Earth.

Kirk and Scotty were on their way to the Warp Core to see if they could do anything to get the ship working again.

Shortly afterward, Bones and Marcus were called to that very area by Sulu. "I'm not staying here!" I protested, furious at my own body for its weakness.

"That's exactly what you are going to do, Goddammit! Just stay there, and don't touch anything!" The Doctor added, as both of them left.

* * *

A long time passed, and then Bones reentered, carrying a body bag, followed by several crew-members.

The agonized looks on their faces chilled my blood, but nothing could prepare me for the sight of Kirk's dead body being in the body bag.

Kirk, in a moment of desperation, sacrificed himself in the successful attempt to re-align the Warp Core to save the ship.

I suddenly wished I had died, as the reality of the situation hit me: _Kirk was gone._

Bones sat in his chair, his face in his hands. _His best friend was gone, and the kid was badly hurt. This was the worst day of his life!_

I rose from the bed, and walked shakily to Kirk's side. "No, this isn't the end! Come on, Kirk, get up! _Get the hell up_!"

I wanted to say something more, but my vision wavered, and the floor came to meet me, but Uhura caught held each other close, and I felt my eyes mist as I felt her tears splash onto my shirt.

At the same time, helpless fury broiled in me, but I couldn't go after Kahn, not in my state.

Just then, the Tribble on Bone's desk, which Bones had injected with Kahn's blood, came to life.

After a long second, Bones called for a Cryotube, and I helped them get Kirk into one, as we needed to preserve his brain function.

I was forced to sit down after that, my body too weak and too much in pain to do anything else.

"How much of Kahn's blood do we have left?" Marcus asked Bones, and he told her there was none. He moved for the Comm, but I did it for him.

According to Uhura, an infuriated Spock had gone after Kahn, and I needed to get him to understand the situation. "Enterprise to Spock...Spock! Come in, you pointy-eared..._Oh, screw this_!"

I then contacted the Bridge, panting from exertion as my temper snapped: "Kempton to Bridge: We need Kahn alive, I don't care how! You get that pasty-faced motherfucker back on board right now, and I mean right the hell now! It's our only chance to save Kirk!"

With that, my body collapsed from exhaustion.

* * *

When I next woke up, I was lying in a hospital bed, and Captain James Tiberius Kirk was standing next to my bed. "Well, hello, sleeping beauty!"

A drawling voice nearby spoke up: "Technically, he was sleeping, but 'beauty' might be pushing it!"

_ I knew that voice!_

I sat up, grinning, surprised to feel no pain. "I'll be damned, Captain! You just don't know when to quit, do you?"

Kirk shrugged, smiling. "Neither do you, it seems."

Kirk proceeded to explain that he was alive due to a blood transfusion with Kahn, who got his ass kicked by an extremely angry Vulcan, and that the Enterprise was under repair.

"Blood transfusion, huh? Sounds like fun! Having delusions of granduer yet, or feeling homicidally superior?"

Kirk chuckled slightly. "Bones asked me something similar, but I am feeling fine."

I looked around the room, noticing the comfort of the bed, and the unfamiliar surroundings. "Where are we?"

Bones stepped away from his screen, and injected me with something. "Earth. You've been in an induced coma for about a month, while I've had to heal your intestines from that Phaser blast-"

"I'm on Earth...A month?!" I cried, and then realized my wrists were strapped to either side of the bed.

At a look from me, Kirk pointed an accusing finger at Bones. "It's his fault! He correctly assumed that you would throw a bitch fit, and so, I took precautions against that."

Bones rolled his eyes, as I raised an eyebrow at the man who I regarded as my father. "Well, I was right, wasn't I?"

I chuckled, rolling my eyes. "Yeah, whatevs!"

I looked at Kirk. "Can I kill Kahn now? It's payback time, and it's going to be a bitch!"

Bones shook his head. "That, what did you call him: 'Pasty-faced motherfucker?' is in a Cryotube, frozen stiff."

Kirk cleared his throat. "Speaking of using the comm, Mr. Kempton, I would prefer it if you didn't use vulgar language while doing so."

I winced. "So sue me! I was caught up in the moment, and I was also half concious. And besides, I'm sure you've let slip a few more four-letter words in your more...less finer moments as Captain?"

Kirk grimaced, seeming to be impressed by my excuses, and changed the subject. "Nontheless, I am sure that you'll be pleased to know that the Enterprise is back in the fight, and we will be pleased if you would join us on our five-year mission."

I nodded. "You betcha, Captain."

* * *

It took a few more days to get me back into fighting shape before being shuttled back to the Enterprise.

My time on Earth needed to be short-lived, as being seen near Federation turf, the place where I had been healed at, would have resulted in Abstergo breathing down my neck.

Shortly after leaving Earth's atmosphere, Bones led me to the Medical Bay. "Take a seat, kid. We need to talk."

I obeyed, taken aback by the seriousness on the Doctor's face. "Look, I know your job is dangerous, and you are going to keep coming back with bumps and bruises, but the last month or so..."

He paused, and then sighed. "Look, kid, I've lost alot of things in my life: a wife, a home, and a friend not too long ago. It is only by sheer luck that he came back. I've dealt with it, and I accept that I might lose more than that, but I can't accept...I won't accept losing you."

I opened my mouth, but paused a long time before talking. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't happy to hear that. In all honesty, I've never had a father. I've had trainers, mentors, and friends, but the Enterprise is different. I guess I do view them as the family that I've always wanted, but if there is one man that has treated me like a son, it has to be you. It was always you, from the very start."

_It just felt...I don't know: right, obvious? It felt like a huge weight had been lifted from me, but it also felt redundant._

Our relationship had been close from the beginning: He was the only man I told about the Assassins, the man who had cared for me, healed me, corrected me, raised me, protected me, doing everything that a father should do for his son.

After a moment of comfortable silence, Bones picked up a small mound of paperwork. "The other reason that I brought you here for is kind of similar."

Venturing over to him curiously, I looked over his shoulder, and my heart skipped a beat: they were Adoption papers.

"You didn't!" I said, and he nodded back. "I did. 'James Kempton McCoy' has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

There was nothing more that needed to be said, but there was something that needed to be done: the new father embracing his new son!

* * *

A few minutes later, we were interrupted when Kirk called me to the Bridge.

"Way to ruin the moment!" I said, as I washed my face clean of any remnant of tears.

"Yeah, well, that's Jim for you!" Bones...Dad replied.

When we both entered the Bridge, I was wrapped in a tight embrace from Uhura, which I returned, before facing the Captain. "You rang, Boss?" I asked, grinning.

"Mr. Kempton, it's good to see you back on the ship. I assume you are back in fighting shape."

I nodded. "Back, and ready for more, Captain! It'll take more than a time-traveling superman to take yours truly down!"

The Captain nodded, and was about to answer, when Dad cleared his throat. "I don't usually let the kid hog the spotlight, as his ego could use a retraction, but he's not 'James Kempton' anymore, legally speaking."

Kirk frowned, looking at Bones. "What are you talking about?"

Smirking, Bones handed him the paperwork. _The look on Kirk's face was exceptionally epic_! "Okay...okay! 'James Kempton McCoy' it is!" Kirk announced.

Uhura squealed, and Spock raised an eyebrow, as Kirk shook the hands of the newly-made father and son. "Congratulations, you two, but I'd be lying if I said that I didn't expect it to happen."

Ah, and speaking of Spock: "Well done, Spock! That was an excellent chase and capture you did with Kahn, and giving him the ass kicking of a lifetime made it even better!"

Spock clasped his hands behind his back, looking smug at my praise. "Although I am not prone to irrational, not to mention violent act, I must admit that I found such a situation to be exceptionally...liberating!"

Chuckling, Kirk turned to me, turning serious. "Now, with that out of the way, it's time to have a talk about the Assassins."

I winced, as he continued. "I remember Kahn making comments about the Assassin Brotherhood: he said something about you and the Assassins being outcasts and were hunted down?"

I nodded. "What that primitive freak said is true. We've never been popular with the Feds, and it wasn't just because we killed people: it was about Abstergo wanting power and control over humanity, and we tried to stop them."

I then detailed the story of our two orders, and what happened that brought me to this time.

After I was finished, Spock stepped forward. "If I recall directly, Abstergo was the founder of Starfleet, and of the Federation of Planets. Fascinating!"

I nodded, and turned to Kirk. "So, now that you know everything, Boss, what now? I wouldn't blame you if you arrested me-"

Kirk interrupted me. "Not a chance in hell!"

I didn't expect that. "Um, say what now?"

Kirk sat in his chair, his arms folded, a small smile on his face. "Do you really think I would do that, after what you've done for us?"

"But, Captain, what if I become a threat to the Enterprise again? I did before, and I don't-"

Kirk interrupted again. "James, you saved my life, and helped save the Enterprise. Just do yourself a favor: shut up, and accept that the Enterprise will always have a place for you." I nodded, thanking him silently.

_Things were getting better and better! _

* * *

**And that's good for one chapter. So, did you like the adoption idea, or did you have other reactions? I felt that it was the right time for it, and I also wanted the Enterprise to know about the Assassin Order. After all, I felt it was time to clear things up between them, and James can now focus on his duties with the knowledge that he has the support from the Enterprise, and his newly adopted father!**

**Read and review, please, guys! Love y'allz! **


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